EXPERIENCES FROM ISTANBUL

The last ´Transformers! project is already some months ago, but how is it going with our participants from Istanbul? What were they doing afterwards and which influence had the ´Transformers! Project on their activities? Here you can read a blog of two of the Turkish participants: Mustafa Remzi Gencer and Huseyin Gürel.

Followers of this blog have already known that we, youngsters from 6 different countries, came together spring of this year for a youth project called Transformers! in Berlin. Let me briefly explain it for those who are not familiar with it. The idea was, as its name explains, transforming our communities which suffer various problems. The world is obviously not enough good place to live in. We face many issues that have significant impact on our daily lives both in local and national level.

Regarding this fact, we worked during the project on how to challenge these issues in order to transform our societies and have a better world. From public speech to funding social movements, from internet security to Arab spring we covered many relevant tools and cases to achieve our aim. Visit to a refugee camp in middle of the town, even months after the project, still reminds us necessity to take immediate action. At the end of the project, we made decision to practice what we learned and implement new projects suggesting efficient transformation. Our talented friends who participated in came up with excellent project ideas. It was exciting for all of us to witness possibility that things will get better in our cities Rabat, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Berlin, Cairo and Paris. Different contexts, different problems but common goal: change toward better.

The project lasted around two unforgettable weeks. We acquired what we need for what we want to achieve and it was time to do. We, as Turkish team, discussed about couple of issues that must be cared and solved in our society. Based on our previous experience and its importance for sake of society, we decided to work on youth. We do not intend to list here all issues Turkish youth face in everyday life. However we believe in building a better society by contribution of youngsters. As soon as they are given opportunities and helped to solve their problems, we may keep to be hopeful about our future. In fact this is not a new idea. For long time, we both have been already active in youth work. We now want to increase range and impact of our work by motivation and tools we got from Transformers! Project.

Last summer, after the project, we involved in an international training course in north-western Turkey. Along the course discussing the idea of Transformers! we shared our experience with other participants in workshop allocated particularly for spreading the word. Then, we started process to establish a nongovernmental organization in youth field in order to have institutionalized, sustainable work. Plus, we have already completed writing couple of projects which will be applied to get fund from Turkish National Agency in cooperation with European Union. We participated in many similar projects in past as in Berlin and we know from our own experience that the projects positively changed our lives. What changes happened would be topic of a long article. Why not to let it change lives of others. Each project we wrote address different needs and problems of youth living around us, including ourselves of course. As a starting point of our activities in the NGO, the projects will give us good chance to start gradual transformation process in our society. The more youngsters we include, the more efficient transformation.

This is roughly what we recently did and we want to do soon regarding the change we hopefully wish to make. Any contribution, idea or offer is welcome to have progress.